Mum bering-machine



(No Model.)

J. H. RIIIIVI-IARI. NUMBBRING MACHINE. N0. 521,000.

VPatented June 5, 1894.

figg.

,fm-W /62 Y UNITE-D Sr Tas PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. REINHARDT, OF NEWRK,VNEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH WETTER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

NUMBERING=MACH|NE- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 521,000, dated June 5, 1894. Application'led July 11,1893. serial 110.480,12?. (Numana ing drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making'a part of this specitication.

This invention relates to machines which are adapted for printing a series of numbers automatically and particularly to machines of this character which are adapted to be locked in the form with the type or to be secured to the bed-plate of a printing-press, although a part of the improvements herein described are equally applicable to other consecutive numbering machines, such as those which are intended to be used by hand.

One object of the'invention is to improve theconstruction and arrangement of the plunger and connected mechanism which, in machines intendedV to be used in a printingpress, are operated by some moving part of the press to actuate the swinging pawl-frame which is mounted on the fixed shaft and imparts motion .to the number-wheels. Usually, in machines of this description, the plunger consists of a single bar or plate'which is placed at one side or one end of the machine, according to the position in which it is desired to place the machine in the `form; the result is that when the plunger is to be placed at the side of the machine it is necessary to give the machine additional width and therefore to cause it to take up room in the form and to separate the printed numbers more widely than is desirable from the other printed matter on the sheet, a further result isthat when the machine is used on a cylinder or other press in which there is a lateral or rolling motion of the impression cylinder or platen with respect to the cylinder or bedplate, or vice versa, the machine must beset in such position that the plungershall be operated at the proper time to produce the movement of the type-wheels while they are not in contact with the paper. In order to overcome these disadvantages I place within the fixed casing of the machine a movable, rectangular casing or frame which transmits its movement through a lever pivoted on the fixed frame to the swinging pawl-frame of the machine and is adapted to have contact points affixed to any part of its upper edge. I am thereby enabled to produce a numbering machine which can be used in any position and in any kind of a press and at the same time is strong, compact and simple in construction.

A further object of my invention is to provide novel and highly efficient means for releasing, restoring to position and maintaining in position a movable type-block, such as thatcommonly used in machines of this character for causing the non-significant zero at the left of a given number-to disappear.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated myiimprovements as applied to a numering machine of a well known form: Figure l is a plan view, partly in horizontal section, on the line :rlof Fig. 2, of a numbering machine having my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line y-y of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same with the numbering-wheels, pawls and swinging frame removed. Fig. 4 is a side view of one of the numbering-wheels removed from the frame, with the shaft shown in section, the ratchet-wheel, which in practice is fixed to the numbering-wheel, being removed. Fig. 5 is a section on the line z-z of Fig. 4 showing the movable type-block in its outward position. Fig. 6 is a similar view, but showing the type-block in its inward position. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a typeblock removed from the wheel. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one form of theretaining means which I prefer to employ. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an instrument which may be used in releasing the type-block from its retaining means.

The outer casing A, the fixed shaft B, the numbering-wheels C mounted on the iixed shaft, and the pawl-frame D swinging on the fixed frame, may be as usual.

Within the casing A is placed a rectangular,-movable frame E which is seated upon ICO springs F, adapted to restore the frame to its highest position after it has been depressed by the operation of some part of the press. rlhe frame is preferably composed of end pieces e, e, which are slotted, as at e', to permit movement with respect to the shaft B, and cross or side pieces c2 which may be plates of a width equal to that of the end pieces, but preferably are annular bars joining the upper corners of the end plates e, e, so that they may move freely up and down although the numbering-wheels C, C, approach very nearly to the side plates of the outer casing A in the horizontal plane which passes through the axis of the shaft B. This permits the machine to be made much narrower than could be possible by a plunger extended between the wheels and the outer casing. The rectangular frame E may itself be formed with contact points to come in contact with the platen or other movable part of the press or these contact points may be detachably secured to the frame, as indicated at e, e3. This arrangement of the contact points on opposite sides of the wheels permits the numbering machine to be placed in any position in the press and insures the proper action of the plunger relative to the movement of the wheels whether the impression cylinder or other movable part of the press approaches the machine from one side or the other.

The movement of the plunger is caused to actuate the swinging pawl by the mechanism shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, in which the frame is provided with a pin e4, which engages a slot in a lever G pivoted at g to the fixed frame or casing. The lever is suitably shaped with reference to the iixed shaft B and near its free end is provided with a pin g which passes through a slot e5 in the end plate e of the movable framevand engages a slot or notch d in one end of the pawl-frame D. This arrangement is simple and direct, is not liable to be broken or deranged, and gives the required amplitude of movement to the pawl-frame.

That part of my invention which relates to the movable type-block is illustrated in detail, in a convenient and practical form in Figs. 4, 5, 6, .7 and 8 of the drawings. Each numbering-wheel C to which the movable type-block is applied, is provided with a recess c in which the type-block K is adapted to slide to bring the type-character on its outer end into the plane of print or to retire it therefrom. The wheel is also chambered, as at c', to receive the means which are adapted to engage the movable type-block and to hold it in position. As represented in the drawings such means may consist of an annular spring plate M which is secured to the body of the wheel as atm and is provided with a lip m to engage one or the other of two notches k, 7c', which are formed in the stem of the block K. When the parts referred to have been assembled the chamber o' may be closed by securing the usual ratchet-wheel N to the body of the numbering- Wheel. The type-block is disengaged from its retaining means, whenever it is desired to shift the block,bya suitable instrument, such as that shown at O in Fig. 9, which is inserted through a hole formed at some convenient point in the periphery of the numberingwheel. Preferably, in the case of a drop cipher, the hole may be formed, as at 7a2, in the center of the cipher, whereby the point of the instrument O may be inserted between the spring M and the stem of the movable type-block through the notch which is left in the lip m for that purpose. Having been released from the retaining means the typeblock can readily be pushed inward to retire the type-character thereon from the plane of print, and the spring M will engage the notch 7c to retain the block in its inward position. In order that the outward movement of the type-block may be rendered certain I aiix to the shaft B at a suitable point, preferably on its under side, a cam projection b which comes in contact with the stem of the movable block, as the latter is carried past it in the continued rotation of the num boring-wheel, and forces it outwardly, so that the spring M may engage with the notch 7.3 and retain the type-block in position to print when it is again brought to the line of print. I prefer also to provide spring M with an ear or boss m2 which comes in contact with the side of the cam projection I) at the proper time to cause the spring to be forced back out of engagement with the stem of the movable block. The restoration of the movable typeblock to the plane of print is thus rendered entirely automatic and absolutely certain. It will be observed also that the block may be retired from the plane of print simply by the insertion of a suitable instrument through the hole provided for the purpose and by pressure upon the face of the block without requiring a partial movementof the numbering-wheel upon its axis in either direction.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a numbering-machine, the combination of an ou ter casing, ashaft mounted therein, numbering wheels pivoted upon said shaft, a swinging pawl-frame mounted on said shaft, a rectangular frame spring-seated and movable within said outer casing, said frame being composed of end plates and cross-bars uniting them and having contact pointswhere by the frame may be depressed, and a lever pivoted to the main casing and in engagement with said movable frame and with said pawl-frame, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with a numbering wheel havingaradial recess and atype block movable in said recess and having a notched stem, of a fixed shaft upon which said wheel is mounted to rotate, a cam projection Iixed on said shaft, and a flat spring secured to the ICO body of the wheel and havingalip to engage In testimony whereof I have signed my said notched stem and an ear, said cam proname to this specification in the presence of jeotion being adapted to thrust said spring two subscribing witnesses.

back out of engagement with the movable JAMES H. REINHARDT. 5 block and at the same time to thrust the type Witnesses:

block outwardly, substantially as shown and A. N. JESBERA,

described. A. WIDDER. 

